Nearly 45% Chinese people are happy

A nationwide survey conducted by CCTV shows that 44.7 percent of Chinese are happy or very happy, China Economic Weekly reported. Another 11.1 percent of the 86,000 surveyed said they were unhappy.

Preliminary survey results show that income is a contributing factor to people's happiness; 61.4 percent of those surveyed who said they were expecting a pay rise said they were happy. People who had investments also reported a higher level of happiness. Older people, especially those over 60, are generally happier than people in their thirties to fifties. Older people are more satisfied with their lives, while younger generations are still struggling to establish careers and frustrated by employment difficulties and high housing prices. The survey also found that happy people tend to be better educated, keep fit, have a balanced diet and be eco-friendly.